Uber passenger slapped by cyclist in Santa Monica dispute

On April 29 at approximately 11:45 p.m., Santa Monica police officers responded to a call in the area of 20th Street and Santa Monica Boulevard regarding a battery that had just occurred.

The victim and reporting party told the officers that about five minutes prior to their arrival she was riding in an Uber eastbound in the 1700 block of Santa Monica Boulevard.

The vehicle was behind two male subjects riding bicycles in the same direction, weaving back and forth across the lanes of traffic, not allowing the Uber to pass. The driver was finally able to get around the bicyclists and drop off the victim and her friend at 19th Street and Santa Monica Boulevard.

As the victim and her friend walked eastbound, the cyclists approached them from behind. The victim asked one of the males, identified as Brady Kiesel, why he had been blocking the roadway. According to the victim, Kiesel gave her a blank stare and then reached out and slapped her on the face. The other subject then yelled at Kiesel, “Bro, bro! Let’s go. We got to leave.” The pair rode away eastbound out of sight.

Using the descriptions provided by the victim and her friend, officers stopped one of the suspects nearby. The victim and witness positively identified Kiesel as the man who slapped the victim.

The officers arrested Kiesel for battery. He was transported to the Santa Monica Jail, where his bail was set for $20,000. The other cyclist was not located.

Note: Crime Watch is culled from reports provided by the Santa Monica Police Department. These are arrests only. All parties are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.